Leeds United 0 Rotherham United 1; Millers’ victory is present for one Leeds fan

Midfielder Lee Frecklington, however, insists his father Craig – a lifelong Whites fan despite living in Lincoln – enjoyed marking his own milestone day by watching the Millers’ first triumph at Elland Road in more than half a century.

“The whole family are Leeds fans,” explained the 30-year-old midfielder to The Yorkshire Post.

“My grandad, my dad, me – we all support Leeds. I don’t know why the family supports Leeds as I am originally from Lincoln, we just do.

“Our win was a nice little present for my dad’s 50th birthday. He will have enjoyed it, even though Leeds lost.

“There were six of the family here, a good day for everyone. It is just a shame I couldn’t get a goal.”

Frecklington senior’s pride at seeing his son help Rotherham to all three points at the expense of Leeds does, indeed, prove the old adage about blood being thicker than water.

Blood – specifically that of Gaetano Berardi – featured heavily in a feisty Yorkshire derby that saw both sides reduced to 10 men by an ugly 73rd-minute clash that left the Swiss full-back with a badly cut nose.

The errant elbow of Leon Best caused the gash and prompted a retaliation from Berardi that is likely to leave the defender facing disciplinary action from the Football Association above and beyond the standard three-game ban that follows a straight red card.

First, Berardi, so incensed by the Rotherham striker’s actions, pushed Best to the ground before then having to be restrained by several team-mates and a linesman from launching a second attack.

Once order had eventually been restored, referee Keith Stroud quite rightly dismissed both players, but Frecklington insists the incident could not detract from an excellent day for the Millers.

“We desperately needed the win,” added the midfielder in the wake of his first appearance since mid-September due to injury. “No matter how it came, we just needed it.

“We have been on a bad run, things haven’t been going our way. But the win at Leeds proved that we can scrap and battle when we need to. It is nice to be off the bottom, that is a big positive from a mental point of view.”

The unseemly altercation between Berardi and Best, plus a subsequent clash involving Danny Ward and Giuseppe Bellusci that brought a booking apiece, were in stark contrast to how the afternoon had begun amid an air of congeniality.

Both Steve Evans and Neil Redfearn were applauded to their respective dugouts by the two sets of supporters. Then, as the action got under way, the home fans in the south stand sang, first, the name of former head coach Redfearn and then that of Evans in an admirably diplomatic gesture designed to show support for the two men.

The football was similarly well balanced in the first half, Leeds having one excellent opening that saw Alex Mowatt’s shot saved brilliantly by Lee Camp. This was followed by Richard Smallwood curling a free-kick against a post with what proved to be the visitors’ one true opportunity of the opening 45 minutes.

So far, so very even. Then, though, came the derby’s decisive moment nine minutes into the second half.

As Rotherham broke at speed after Mirco Antenucci had lost possession, Leeds were suddenly exposed and, when Smallwood’s left-wing cross arrived in the six-yard box, Joe Newell was all alone to head beyond Marco Silvestri.

After that, Leeds huffed and puffed but threatened only fitfully. Antenucci did fire narrowly wide, while Chris Wood headed straight at Camp in the Rotherham goal at the finish.

But, in truth, Rotherham looked just as likely as their hosts to score the afternoon’s second goal as Frecklington headed over from a corner when well placed and Jonson Clarke-Harris shot straight at Silvestri after turning smartly in the penalty area.

It all added up to another frustrating afternoon for Leeds, who have now won just once in 15 league games at Elland Road.

“Any game where you lose is disappointing,” said Kiwi striker Wood. “And especially when you concede a goal like we did. Rotherham didn’t really have many chances, but they stuck away the one that came along.

“The gaffer was, like us, frustrated. Everyone at the football club is frustrated. The fans, in particular, were frustrated because it was a game we should have won. We had the chances to make it an easier day for ourselves.”

Wood, one of just two players in the Leeds starting line-up not to have played under Redfearn, insisted that the pre-match talk of both managers wanting to get one over their old club had not affected the players. “The gaffer obviously came from there and we would liked to have got the win for him,” said the striker.

“But we would like to have won for ourselves and the supporters just as much.

“After winning the last two games, we wanted to carry on the run. But I won’t say we have taken a wrong turning. It was just one of those performances. We created enough chances but, bottom line, in both boxes we need to do better. That is from me up top to everyone in the team. When we get a chance, we have to score. We had more than enough chances. But we will put it right on the training pitch and then against QPR next week.”